PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) – After months of public hearings with pot growers, lawmen, public health officials and others, an Oregon commission is racing to finalize recreational marijuana regulations and issue licenses to hundreds of businesses within a few months.
But those who aim to produce souped-up coffee and other niche products might have to wait a bit longer.
“It’s like the circus around here,” Oregon Liquor Control Commission Chair Rob Patridge said after a hearing in which a pot advocate and a panel member argued about whether marijuana is safer than alcohol, and an entrepreneur discussed selling marijuana-infused java, eliciting blank looks from commissioners.
The commission has been grappling with its massive task, issues that Colorado and Washington state previously dealt with, including the number of licenses initially offered. Besides Oregon, Alaska also legalized pot in 2014.
Oregon decided to do some things differently, including: